Medals Must Be Earned
by Miratete
Summary: Chapter 9: "The World" posted! Fluff! Fluff! Fluffity-fluff...and Sgt. Calhoun wearing Gene's bathrobe.
1. The Hanged Man

**Medals Must Be Earned**

Author's note: The events in this story take place just after Ralph has gotten the medal in _Hero's Duty _and escapes in the shuttle. Also, _Hero's Duty _has been plugged in for two months, whereas in the movie it had been plugged in only a week.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 1: The Hanged Man**

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Enter newborn players and gather  
Weigh their innocence  
Only the brightest shine  
But not forever  
Many lights die  
Many tears rain  
When those tears run dry **

**On a mountain madness day**

**Opening lyrics to "El Diablo" by Arcadia**

-o-o-o-o-o-

The sound of the escape pod's jets blasting it off of the tower caught everyone's attention, and they all looked upwards. Though the pod itself was of dark metal, just like everything else in _Hero's Duty_, the brilliant flames of the thrusters made it easy to follow through the somber sky.

It careened down toward them, piloted haphazardly and nearly crashing into the long causeway. And as it passed there came the most startling revelation as the pod listed to the side.

"Ralph!" gasped Felix.

"Cy-Bug!" gasped Sergeant Calhoun.

The two occupants were clearly visible through the glass canopy. The pod continued to list, turning all the way around in a clumsy barrel roll, still heading toward the base Felix had come from. An icy hand suddenly clenched the sergeant's heart. If that shuttle made it out into Game Central Station, or even into another game...

But fate would have otherwise.

One of the pod's short wings clipped the edge of the doorway into the base, causing it to spin horizontally and crash to the floor. It whirled down the corridor amidst a shower of sparks and the demonic scream of metal on metal.

The soldiers on the causeway all gave chase, Felix right behind them, barely keeping up.

When it finally came to a stop, the canopy of the craft popped open and the two occupants tumbled out, dazed by the rough ride. The Cy-Bug, a juvenile, met an immediate end as some of the soldiers in the base saw it. They were quick with their rifles, and after they dispatched the threat, Ralph found himself looking down the barrels of several of the same.

"Um...? I surrender?" Ralph mewled sheepishly, raising his hands.

The party from the causeway arrived.

"Ralph! What have you done?" Felix moaned. Ignoring the weaponry focused on the wrecker, he bounded in and grabbed Ralph by his shirt placket. "And what are you doing here? Don't you realize what's going on back in _Fix-It Felix, Jr._?"

"Can't say I do," said Ralph, clambering to his feet and pushing aside the nose of a rifle held just a little too close, glaring at the soldier pointing it at him.

"Your going Turbo has gotten us in trouble. There's an 'Out of Order' sign slapped up on our cabinet."

"What!? No!?"

The soldiers nearby all began whispering amongst themselves. Sergeant Calhoun was glaring at Ralph fiercely. "So you went Turbo from your game, came over here, ruined that poor kid's game time, and then tried to steal a shuttle and a Cy-Bug!?" Calhoun raged. "Do you even know what a Cy-Bug would have done outside of this game?"

"No idea. And I wasn't trying to get the bug. It attacked me and then came along for the ride."

The sergeant opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it, her fists clenching tightly.

"You! You're the one!" came a shout and suddenly someone else had a hold of Ralph by his shirt.

"Zangief?" Felix coughed. "What are you doing here?"

The man turned and looked down and Felix saw immediately that it wasn't the big Russian wrestler, but someone Zangief-sized wearing his wrestling attire.

"I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else," Felix apologized.

"Hey! Markowski! It's not casual day, is it?" called out one of the soldiers. The others whistled at and taunted him.

"Markowski! Where've you been?" snapped the sergeant as she strode up.

"I've been locked in the janitor's closet at_ Tapper'_s for hours trying to get out! This guy," he shook Ralph by his shirt, "knocked me out and stole my armor and locked me in the closet." He glared at Ralph with a look of impending doom. The sergeant suddenly put it together as to why Markowski had been even more of a mess than usual at the first quarter alert.

"Yeah, I stole your armor and shut you in the closet," confessed Ralph. "But I didn't knock you out. You did that yourself." He turned to look at the sergeant. "He did. He saw this cockroach and then screamed like a little girl and hit the wall when he was trying to run away. You have some pretty tough soldiers in your ranks here."

The other soldiers all laughed. "That's Markowski all right," called one.

"Shut up!" he shouted at them. "Why'd you steal my armor!" he bawled, shaking Ralph again.

"He came over here and took your spot in the formation," explained Calhoun.

"What? What for?"

"Yes, I'd like to know too," said the sergeant, shoving Markowski aside and getting in Ralph's face. "What for?"

"I wanted to get that Medal of Heroes. This guy told me that to get a medal all you had to do was climb the building and fight bugs," he explained, gesturing with his thumb at Markowski. "And I did that." He reached beneath his orange shirt and took out the medal. "And I got my medal, so I'll just be going now," he said calmly, trying to duck out of the searing gaze.

Sergeant Calhoun's hand shot out, seized the medal, and snapped it off of his neck. "Not so fast, pussywillow," she snarled.

Ralph's expression went to one of desperation. "I need that medal. And I earned it. I did what I was told I had to."

"I don't know how you got this, but we've been into that tower twelve times today—once all the way to the top—and we never saw you. So you must have stolen it," she countered. "If you want a medal, you climb the inside of the tower and you fight all the bugs. Not just run like a scared little girl yourself," she said. Regathering her thoughts she drew herself up. "There's a punishment here for game-jumpers because the danger is so great."

"Punishment? What punishment?" Felix asked.

"Corporal punishment. Twenty-five applications of the rod or cat."

"You're going to..to... b-beat me?" Ralph stammered.

"I'm going to break you," she said menacingly. "Boys, take him downstairs. Markowski, for the love of... Go get some armor on!"

The closest two men grabbed Ralph by the arms.

"Wait! Wait!" cried Felix. "I have to get Ralph back to our game or we risk being shut down. There's already an 'Out of Order' sign on our cabinet."

The men paused and the sergeant raised her hand to halt them.

"Litwak will try to restart our game when he has a chance," Felix pleaded. "Usually he gives us a few tries to right ourselves. But the sooner we're back to normal the better. The citizens of our game are already in a panic. Please, if Ralph's back, Litwak will know everything's all right."

"All right," she huffed. "This loser can go back and do his job. But tonight, after the arcade closes, your miserable hide is mine," she informed Ralph, poking at him menacingly. "Literally."

Ralph swallowed hard. She wasn't kidding about this corporal punishment thing.

"Marco, Torres, go with him. You know what to do."

The men saluted her and then shoved Ralph toward the exit of _Hero's Duty_.

"I hate to disagree with the way you run your game, M'am, but don't you think that a beating is a bit severe for trespassing?" Felix questioned.

Calhoun put her hands on her hips and bent over toward Felix. "If you knew the scope of what your comrade nearly did, you'd probably think a beating would be a slap on the wrist. As it is I'm holding back by simply leaving it at twenty-five." She straightened back up and went over to the crashed shuttle and looked inside of it. "Cy-Bugs aren't like your usual NPC's. They're soulless, mindless machines following only three programmed instructions—kill, eat, reproduce. Each one will lay eggs given the opportunity, and they are unbelievably enthusiastic when it comes to this. C'mere." She took him by the shoulder and led him back to the start of the causeway.

Gesturing at the sky filled with the green lights of the swarms, she gritted her teeth. "Where do you think all those bugs come from? Give a single Cy-Bug a few hours undisturbed and it could produce an army like what you see up there. One Cy-Bug. We keep this threat contained here in _Hero's Duty_, but if it were to spread to the arcade, we'd all go down."

"Jiminy jaminy..." Felix choked. "I had no idea."

"So don't you ever question my methods again. Got that?" She shoved her gloved fingertip against his chest. "And I'll see this Ralph guy back tonight after the arcade closes."

"Of course, M'am."

She gave him a little sneer and marched back into the base.

"Wow..." Felix gasped to himself. "Is she always this intense?"

-o-o-o-o-o-

Felix caught up to Ralph and his escort waiting for the tram into _Fix-It Felix, Jr., _and when it arrived, Felix was puzzled that the soldiers were squeezing into it as well. "Wait? Why are you coming inside?" he asked them.

"#? ^!?" asked Q*Bert, having spotted the party and followed them into the portal.

"Oh, we're just going sit around today, keeping an eye on this slug. And then take him back to Hero's Duty after the arcade closes," said one of the soldiers.

"I see. Well just make sure you're not visible to the players."

"Of course not," replied the other, rolling his eyes. They'd not been plugged in quite yesterday.

And within the hour Litwak returned and noticed the game screen looking as it should in demo mode. He moved the 'Out of Order' sign to the side of the cabinet and popped a quarter into the machine. The opening animation played and Ralph appeared, pronouncing his catchphrase and proceeding to vent his wrath upon the building. The Nicelanders panicked and called for their handyman, at which point Felix bounded in with a confident "I can fix it!"

Litwak played two levels of the game flawlessly, and decided that all was in order. "Here kid, finish this game for me, would ya?" he said to the boy observing over his shoulder.

"Sure thing."

As the boy stepped in, Litwak pulled the sign off of the side of the cabinet where he'd stuck it for the moment and patted the cabinet's top. "Good old _Felix_. You're getting old but you're reliable," he chuckled and headed back to his office. "Of course, so am I."

The Nicelanders all breathed a sigh of relief.

Later, when there was no one around, Felix took a break from the demo screen animation and decided he should talk to Ralph. The two _Hero's Duty_ soldiers were sitting on the lawn off to the side of Niceland, where some of the ladies had come over bringing them pie and coffee in hospitality, and were now chatting with them. Their rifles had been propped up on a nearby park bench.

Ralph was lying on his stomach on the lawn as well, obviously deeply lost in thought, his head resting on his folded arms.

"Ralph, what were you thinking by going Turbo? You're a big part of the game!" Felix scolded.

Ralph looked up at the handyman. "Oh, so I'm a big part of the game? I seem to remember being told that I was just the guy that wrecks the building."

"Well you are, but you're more than that."

"Sure. When I'm gone everyone suddenly realizes how important Ralph is—good old Ralph who's spent the past three decades doing his job and not a one of you ever saying 'thank you', or 'great job today, Ralph.' Nope, no one ever cared about me. All they cared about was that I gave you a reason to be the hero."

Felix sighed. The man had a point. He sat down in the grass next to him. "I've always tried to be decent to you, Ralph."

"You've been better to me than the rest of those little self-righteous busy bodies." He flung a handful of grass toward Niceland in a gesture of contempt, where the occupants were toddling about the sidewalks and peering out of windows in their demo mode.

"Well at least I've done that. But Ralph...why? Why that stupid bet with Gene?"

"Don't you see, Felix? It wasn't just last night. This has been building for a long time. And when I came back and saw there was a party for the 30th Anniversary and I'd been ignored or forgotten or purposely not invited, I was just shocked. I mean really. You have to have a villain to have a hero. What good would you be without me? I'm sure they don't hand out medals for unclogging sinks and opening stuck windows, 'cause that's all you'd be doing without me there to make everyone's lives miserable. So you could at least treat me like a real person."

Felix was frowning. "That's a mean thing to say...but you're absolutely right," he concurred in a softer tone.

"Anyway, I'm going to do the right thing. I'll go back peacefully and take my punishment. I'm not giving up though. I can't take any more of this social isolation. I will win this bet with Gene."

"That's the spirit!" said Felix. "Gene doesn't think you can do it."

"I'll do what it takes. I've never been more serious about anything in my life. Maybe she'll even let me have my medal back."

They sat a minute in silence, staring up at Niceland. And then Felix looked over at him. "Ralph, do you think...do you think that you and I could be friends?"

Ralph looked back at him. "I'd like to be friends, if you'd let me. I could really use one right now. I'll be honest. That woman scares me."

"She's just doing her job, you know." Felix stuck out his hand. "Whaddaya say?"

"Friends until the end," is what Ralph said, and they shook on it.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Medals Must Be Earned continues in:**

**Chapter 2 – Justice**

**Chapter 3 – The Hierophant**

**Chapter 4 – The Tower**

**Chapter 5 – The High Priestess**

**Chapter 6 – Strength**

**Chapter 7 – The Wheel of Fortune**

**Chapter 8 – The Lovers**

**Chapter 9 – The World**

**Chapter 10 – The Fool**

-o-o-o-o-o-

_Wreck-It Ralph _and all related concepts, characters, worlds, and events are property of Walt Disney Pictures. Original characters and story elements are property of E. Potter, writing under the pen name of Miratete.


	2. Justice

**Medals Must Be Earned**

Author's note: The events in this story take place just after Ralph has gotten the medal in _Hero's Duty _and escapes in the shuttle. Also, _Hero's Duty _has been plugged in for two months, whereas in the movie it had been plugged in only a week.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 2: Justice**

-o-o-o-o-o-

When the "all clear" of the arcade's closing was sounded, Felix pulled Ralph into Niceland and bustled him into an elevator. "Felix? What are you doing? I've got a date in a dungeon to get to."

"Exactly. But lets get you cleaned up a little first, and comb that hair of yours. Maybe she'll go a little easier on you if you look like less of a vagrant."

"I don't know how that would help. I know she's going to whip me pretty hard, I'm sure. But all right."

"Trust me on this."

He hurried Ralph into his apartment and into the shower, and while Ralph showered Felix shook out the wrecker's clothes and spot-cleaned a few of the worst marks out of them.

The end result was less than perfect, but for once Ralph looked and smelled clean, and he'd even brushed his teeth and combed his hair. "Felix, thanks," said the wrecker. "No one else would have cared enough about this."

Felix smiled up at him. "And here," he said grabbing a handful of peppermints from a bowl and pushing them into Ralph's hand. "Suck on these and try not to breathe on her if you can avoid it. The less you annoy her the more forgiving she's likely to be. Women are that way." He reminisced for a moment of his first meeting with the sergeant, of her holding him to the ground at gunpoint. "She's one dynamite gal," he sighed.

Ralph looked at the handyman askance. It was obvious that Felix had fallen for her.

"Could I ask you one more favor?" Ralph queried as they stepped back into the elevator.

"Sure."

"Could you wait outside of _Hero's Duty_ for me? With your hammer? In case it gets really bad? I mean, I know she's not going to kill me, but I might be a real mess once she's done with me."

Felix took Ralph's hand. "I'll wait for you to return."

Ralph smiled. "Thanks."

They found the two soldiers now at the entrance of Niceland but still chatting with three of the comparatively tiny Nicelander ladies. Apparently the little chubby women were rather fascinating to the pair, and the tall, bulky armored soldiers were of equal fascination to them. "Hey, we were just about to come looking for you," said one of the men when Ralph appeared.

"I'm here," he said morosely.

"Well, you know the way. Get going."

Ralph exhaled and walked toward the tram, his steps heavy and deliberate, the walk of a condemned man. Felix walked at his side.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Inside _Hero's Duty_ the men took Ralph down several flights of stairs to a long low-ceilinged room, obviously set up for punishment, torture, and interrogation. The look of the place alone was intimidating. Even the way their voices echoed off of the industrial walls seemed ominous.

"Strip down to your skivvies," instructed the soldier.

"What?" asked Ralph, somewhat shocked at the order.

"Either you take your clothes off, or she'll tear them off of you, and then you'll have nothing to wear home."

The soldier had a point. Ralph begrudgingly undressed, and when he had, the other man led him over to a pair of manacles hanging from the ceiling. Finding the manacles too large for his wrists, they tied his hands together with a length of rope and then tied the wrappings to the manacles. Then his ankles were fettered to the floor with a pair of shackles. The soldier checked the restraints and then nodded to the other. "I'll let the ice queen know he's here and ready."

Ralph felt his stomach twisting as he departed and the other man went to a table at the far end of the room. Suddenly he felt very vulnerable and alone and frightened. He tried to convince himself of his own strength, that the rods would break across his back before they did any real damage. He was as strong as any of these men, if not stronger, right? And besides, Felix was waiting right outside of this hell hole of a game, golden hammer at the ready. Getting to him after the punishment was all that would need to be done.

The minutes ticked by slowly, the anticipation of the dreaded event gnawing away at him. And after what seemed a needless hour of half-hanging from the ceiling the sergeant came in, a scowl already across her face. And instead of her armor or a casual off-duty outfit, she was wearing a wedding dress and veil.

"A wedding dress?" asked Ralph, goggling at her. "What kind of punishment am I in for here?" He pulled again at the ropes holding him to the ceiling. "Are you going to marry me and then nag me to death?"

The sergeant only shot him a fiery look as she made her way to the end of the large room.

"You should have seen what she did to Markowski for going AWOL last week," whispered the soldier who came up to check the restraints once more. "And that was without the dress. She saves the dress for the worst occasions."

"The worst occasions? What's with the dress?"

The soldier just snickered. "The sergeant has a few issues. You can ask her yourself."

Said sergeant came back over, a heavy cane in her hands, walked up to Ralph, took his chin in her hand, and forced his face upwards. "Any last words before I teach you a lesson about trespassing?" Her fingers, sheathed in ivory satin gloves that reached above her elbows, clamped tightly to his jaw. He could smell the perfume she wore, the siren scent of the deadly woman.

"No. Let's just get this over with," he mumbled as best he could in her grip. Whatever she had done to Markowski had probably been a walk in the park compared to what she had planned for him. There was anger and loathing in her eyes. She turned to the soldier. "Dismissed!" she barked at him.

He departed silently, somewhat intimidated by her as well.

Ralph closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Felix had promised to wait right outside to take care of him the moment he was tossed out of _Hero's Duty_. This was going to be hard on the little guy. Felix had been so sure that this sergeant would take it easy on Ralph, and he saw the way the handyman had looked at her all googly-eyed. He'd seen it before. Over the years Felix had nearly worn out the phrase "love at first sight." He wondered how Felix would take it when he saw the bloody pulp she'd beaten him into.

Ralph gritted his teeth again.

The first lash of the cane stung as the length of it struck him across his back. Okay, not so bad, he told himself. I can take this. But each subsequent hit seemed harder, or perhaps it just felt as if she was hitting him harder as the pain increased without a chance to wane. The first several strikes he held his tongue, but after that he began to whimper, louder with each lashing.

Tears began to leak from his eyes, and soon he was sobbing and crying out in pain. His instincts told him to fight back, or to at least pull himself free and escape. But he knew he had to stick it out. He wanted to stick it out. He'd committed a grievous crime according to this game's rules and had to pay the price. And just maybe somehow there was a way he could get a medal after the punishment.

The sergeant paused a moment. "If you'd succeeded in getting out of here with that shuttle and that Cy-Bug, I would have just shot you where ever it was I caught up to you. So consider yourself lucky."

Ralph was gasping for breath. "Yes, M'am," he said.

She struck him twice more, each strike no longer a sting but a slash of pain. Ralph struggled against his restraints, hoping to soften the blows somewhat by ducking away from them.

She just snickered and walked away.

Was that it? Was she done already? Hadn't the punishment been set for twenty-five lashes?

She picked up a larger stick, this one a rod easily twice as thick as the cane she'd hit him with before.

Ralph groaned. This was all Gene's fault. Gene had pushed him at the party. Gene had suckered him into that foolish bet. Gene had started this whole futile quest.

The sergeant placed the new rod in her right hand and slapped it against the palm of her left. And then she struck Ralph's back across the welts made by the first one. He cried out in pain, and then twice again as she struck twice more.

"I know you won't come back here again," she said.

"No, never..." he blubbered. "I won't!"

"Anything else you want to say now that we're halfway through? That was number thirteen."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I came into your game and stole a medal."

She smirked, and then came around to face him, taking his jaw again in her hand. "Much better."

"But," he said with a gasp. "Tell me something first. Why are you wearing a wedding dress?"

Her eyes, held in a squint, suddenly opened wide, the question startling the sergeant. "Because... because life is unfair," she hissed in his face.

"Someone jilted you at the altar?" he guessed.

She clenched the rod tightly, strode back around to behind him, and then slashed at him with full fury. Ralph screamed.

"My life fell apart at the altar," she screamed back and struck the fifteenth blow, followed by another. "Everything was so perfect...and then...and then."

"Did he leave you at the altar?"

"No!"

"What happened? What happened at your wedding that was so awful?" he whimpered. He could feel a strange suffocating blackness rising from his back, electric and bubbling, telling him to surrender.

The sergeant turned away, coming to grips with his question. Why did he have to keep asking? Why did he want to know? And then she turned back around and raised the rod. This would shut him up. Calhoun swung and counted off four more blows, Ralph fighting to stay conscious. But after hearing "twenty," he groaned and let the rising blackness consume him.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Sergeant Calhoun tossed a bucket of water over Ralph, startling him back into consciousness. He sputtered and coughed and opened his eyes. His wrists burned and his hands felt numb. He'd apparently been hanging unconscious for who knows how long. Wet and shivering, he ungracefully found his footing and stood again.

And then he noticed the sergeant's wedding dress had been removed. Instead she stood there in her underwear, all satin and lace befitting a bridal trousseau. "Where's your dress? They cancel our wedding?"

"I didn't want to get blood on it," she replied, intending the answer to be an intimidating prediction of what was to come next.

"Great... " he moaned. "At least you're easy to look at while you're beating me up."

She slapped him hard across the face.

"Twenty-one," he counted.

"Wishful thinking," she snarled and slapped him again.

He did not count off another number, but instead he looked her in the eye. "Tell me what happened to you. I have to know," he said defiantly. If she was going to make this painful for him, perhaps a bit of an exchange was in order.

She turned on him, her blue eyes locking fiercely with his brown ones. "What do you care? Let's just get this over with and we'll never see each other again."

"Sergeant, there's something inside you—something dreadful inside of you that's destroying you," he said calmly. "It's turning you into a monster. I know you keep it hidden, but it's there, peeking out when things get rough. I know the other guys probably ignore it, maybe because you tell them to, but it's there right now."

"I'm fine. There's no monster."

"No one wears a wedding dress to beat a man half to death. As far as I know black leather is the uniform for that."

"It's just my backstory...it's tragic. Now let's just get on with this."

"Your backstory? Wait a minute." Ralph stared at her. "Your backstory is doing this to you?"

Calhoun sighed. "It's not your concern. And yes, maybe it does come out in bad way sometimes. I have to let it out...to keep me from cracking. But it's my problem to deal with. Not yours."

"I know it's not my problem, and there's probably nothing I can do about it. But maybe telling someone would help instead of letting it out like this. Sometimes just letting someone know helps."

"The guys all know. There's even a cut scene about it on the sixtieth floor."

"I didn't quite make it to the sixtieth floor today, so you'll have to tell me." Through all the pain he grinned at her. "I almost got that far."

She tried not to laugh, but a snort escaped her. His unexpected wit had caught her off-guard. But quickly she wiped away the mirthful reaction and went for the crate she'd brought over. From the box she pulled out a cat o' nine tails—a heavy rope half unraveled into three strands, and then unravelled again into nine knotted ends. "Ever feel the kiss of one of these?" she asked coldly, stretching the implement between her hands for him to see. Another intimidation ploy.

"I've never felt any of this" Ralph said timidly, his stomach twisting tighter.

"And hopefully you never will again, if you learn your lesson that is. Five lashes and you're done," she said.

"No. Not done. I need to get that medal."

"What!? Seriously? You still want it?" she questioned as she moved into position behind him.

"I'd do anything for it," he whined.

"You're absolutely crazy!" she screeched and swung.

The cat struck him across the back, hard, and he screamed. Each of the nine tails tore across the welts, breaking them open. She'd definitely been saving the worst for last. Five lashes were going to be as awful as the first twenty combined. "That's twenty-one," she grimaced.

No wonder she'd taken off her dress. There would be blood.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Medals Must Be Earned continues in:**

**Chapter 3 – The Hierophant**

**Chapter 4 – The Tower**

**Chapter 5 – The High Priestess**

**Chapter 6 – Strength**

**Chapter 7 – The Wheel of Fortune**

**Chapter 8 – The Lovers**

**Chapter 9 – The World**

**Chapter 10 – The Fool**

-o-o-o-o-o-

_Wreck-It Ralph _and all related concepts, characters, worlds, and events are property of Walt Disney Pictures. Original characters and story elements are property of E. Potter, writing under the pen name of Miratete.


	3. The Heirophant

**Medals Must Be Earned**

Author's note: The events in this story take place just after Ralph has gotten the medal in _Hero's Duty _and escapes in the shuttle. Also, _Hero's Duty _has been plugged in for two months, whereas in the movie it had been plugged in only a week.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 3: The Heirophant**

-o-o-o-o-o-

**You were just in time  
For a foolish deal**

**For love I sold  
Can't stand another howling day  
Inside this empty skin  
While the beacons burn I'll say  
Await return  
From so far away**

**One life with the devil do I play  
For so long  
El diablo is to blame  
Oh...  
Oh el diablo, el diablo  
Won't you sell me back my soul?  
Oh el diablo, el diablo  
Won't you sell me back my soul? **

-o-o-o-o-o-

Ralph woke to the feeling of his wrists being untied and he tumbled to the floor when they were free. And then his feet were released from the shackles holding him in place. He didn't open his eyes, but instead concentrated on the reality of the pain rising from his back. A couple minutes later, a hand cradled his face and something smooth and cool was pressed to his lower lip. "Here. Drink," he heard the sergeant's voice say through the pounding of the blood in his ears. Water trickled over his tongue and he swallowed it. When the cup was empty she returned his head to the floor. "You know, you're the first person from outside of our game that I've had to do this to. It's just been a few insubordinate soldiers before." She walked away, the heels of her satin shoes making a tock-tock-tocking across the floor.

Ralph opened his eyes. He was still alive, but pretty close to wishing he weren't.

Whimpering and afire with pain, Ralph dragged himself to a mattress lying nearby on the floor and collapsed there on his stomach.

The sergeant walked back over, some sort of computerized clipboard in her hands. Kneeling, she set it down, grabbed his heavy hand, and pressed his thumb to it. "There. Paperwork's done. You're free to go."

"I still need that medal. Tell me what I need to do to get it," he moaned slowly.

"Are you still hung up on that? Why do you want it like your life depends on it?"

"My life does depend on it. It's not just about a medal. It's about thirty years of isolation and neglect and loneliness. Thirty years I've been the bad guy in my game, and I'm not a bad guy. It's just my job. I want to be more than that. I want to be a part of my game," he rambled.

"You're a bad guy?" She glanced sideways at him.

"Yeah. Been the bad guy for thirty years and have been hated for it every day," he said sadly.

"Thirty years? Your game's that old?"

"Yeah. Ironically we just had our 30th Anniversary party last night. It sorta pushed me over the edge."

"That long? Amazing. But okay, so you're the bad guy. Isn't that the role of the bad guy though? To be the one responsible for all the trouble?"

"Sure, but the thing is, once the arcade closes, they still treat me like the bad guy. They curse me. They hide from me. They exclude me." The tears of a pain greater than the punishment Calhoun had meted out began to fall, running down his face and dripping into the mattress. "I just want to be accepted and treated like a normal guy...like one of them. I'm not asking for much, am I?"

To Ralph's surprise, the sergeant placed her hand on his arm. "You've tried, haven't you? Tried to fit in with them?"

"Yes! For years...decades. Oh, but for them it's just so much easier if there's a 24/7 bad guy they can blame everything on. Keep things black and white you know."

"So what do you do in your game that makes you such a villain?"

Ralph told her about his stump and the construction of Niceland. He told her about wrecking the building and about lobbing bricks at the little handyman who hopped about repairing his undoings. He told her about living in the junkpile and watching Felix get all the glory.

"So then what does this medal have to do with it?" she asked.

"I made a deal with the Devil."

She gave him another sideways glance. "Excuse me?"

"The mayor of Niceland, the guy who's in charge of the building I wreck as my job."

"What kind of a deal?"

"I had said that I was just as good as the hero in our game, Felix, and he wins a medal when the player beats the game. I said that I could win a medal too. That mayor...that little devil... he told me that if I could win a medal he'd not only let me live in Niceland, he'd let me live in the penthouse. That's his place. He didn't think I could do it." Ralph's hand clenched into a fist. "That's why I'm so desperate. It's my ticket to a new life. I can't take the isolation any more."

He closed his eyes, but the tears continued to fall.

"I had no idea," she said.

"I don't think anyone knew or knows or whatever."

Her hand stroked his forearm gently, and Ralph was surprised that the woman had any tenderness in her, not after the way he'd seen her lead her troops into battle, and the way she'd remorselessly beaten him twice into unconsciousness. "So, if you get one and go back, then it's happily ever after for you?"

"If the Devil keeps his word, and I think he will."

"Well, if you want it that badly, lets go earn you a medal."

Ralph's eyes rolled up to look at her, the brutal sergeant sitting there in a white corset and silk stockings, spatters of his own blood across the white satiny fabric and her skin. "Earn one? You'd help me?" He picked his head up off of the mattress. "You mean it?"

She nodded at him. "I'll gather up a squad and take you up the tower, if you're up to it. We could go tomorrow, or next week if you want. Admittedly you're pretty messed up right now."

"No, no! Now! Tonight!"

She smirked at him and rose to her feet. "You're still absolutely crazy, soldier."

Ralph pushed himself up and managed to stand. "I'm desperate."

"Obviously," she laughed. She walked over to a panel on the wall, hit a few buttons, and then tapped out a message on a keyboard. "All right," she said, turning back to him. "We're heading up the tower in twenty minutes. Let's go get suited up."

"Thank you. Thank you so much," Ralph said gratefully. "You don't know what this means to me."

"You know, if you'd had a little patience and had come to me in the first place, instead of knocking out Markowski and sneaking in, I would have done this for you if I'd heard your story."

"I didn't knock him out," said Ralph, clinging to his innocence on that point. "But I did steal his clothes and lock him in the closet."

"And dressed him that little red Speedo. The guys are never going to let him live that down." She shook her head. "One little medal."

"Not little...the biggest, shiniest medal in all of Litwak's."

She laughed amusedly. "C'mon."

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Medals Must Be Earned continues in:**

**Chapter 4 – The Tower**

**Chapter 5 – The High Priestess**

**Chapter 6 – Strength**

**Chapter 7 – The Wheel of Fortune**

**Chapter 8 – The Lovers**

**Chapter 9 – The World**

**Chapter 10 – The Fool**

-o-o-o-o-o-

_Wreck-It Ralph _and all related concepts, characters, worlds, and events are property of Walt Disney Pictures. Original characters and story elements are property of E. Potter, writing under the pen name of Miratete.


	4. The Tower

**Medals Must Be Earned**

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 4: The Tower**

-o-o-o-o-o-

The base's medic sprayed something over Ralph's back, gave him a handful of pills to swallow, quickly wrapped Ralph's torso in bandages, and then helped him into a tight stretchy shirt to protect the bandages and keep them in place. "Okay, you're set," said the doctor. "You're sterilized, bandaged, sealed, and full of painkillers and stimulants. Go get 'em tiger."

"Thanks, Doc," said Ralph and he was led away to be dressed in some armor.

"I can't believe Calhoun's doing this for you, not after what happened," commented the soldier assisting him, a big fellow whose nameplate read 'Davis'.

"I think she understands me."

"Yeah, well, I hear Markowski's going up with us. Don't expect him to watch your back."

Ralph chuckled. "I can't say I blame him. But I can count on you, right?"

The man froze, somewhat startled by the man's cut-to-the-chase question, and then looked at Ralph. And then after a moment, a smile broke across his face. "Yeah. Why not?" He slapped the wrecker on the shoulder, which made Ralph wince. "We'll get you there."

-o-o-o-o-o-

It all seemed strangely familiar—the charge across the causeway, the hustle and rattle of the unit, the sound of heavy feet on metal, the noise of the carnage. The thick swarms of Cy-Bugs came down but he felt ready. The shock and awe of his first experience in _Hero's Duty_ was over. That minute of disastrous panic had dulled to the current somewhat bearable panic. Once he'd expected _Centipede_. This time he knew what to expect.

Ralph clutched his rifle and fired away, fighting the urge to toss it aside and smash bugs with his own hands. The weapons here were designed to kill these things.

Before he knew it they'd gotten inside of the tower and to a large elevator platform. "Well that wasn't so bad," decided Ralph aloud to Davis. The big soldier was sticking to his side, having made himself Ralph's personal escort after their little exchange. Another of the men, a mid-gunner named Green, had taken it upon himself to watch Ralph's back. He seemed to have a real knack for moving sideways and backwards while keeping abreast of his surroundings.

Ralph became accustomed to aiming and firing the gun they'd given him, and soon he found some confidence in what he was doing. By the time the party got to the twentieth floor he was feeling confident enough to try shifting the settings on his rifle. By the thirtieth floor he knew how to activate and toss the grenades included with his armor. By the fortieth floor he knew the icons that linked to target points that would reward him with power-ups, replacement soldiers, replacement grenades, cut scenes, and damage repair.

Getting off the elevator at the forty-eighth floor, Calhoun called for a break, and the seven men still with the party slouched against the walls or sat on the floor. "There are no bugs on this level—just this room with the gear and power-ups and what not," said Davis with a wave of his hand at the surroundings. What Ralph had assumed to be a spare battery or some kind of mortar or a specialized piece of equipment slung across Kohut's back turned out to actually be a large thermos full of strong hot coffee. Davis showed Ralph how to remove the cap on the side of his rifle, one that protected something projecting at the side, and to use it as a makeshift coffee cup, which most of the men were doing.

Ralph held out his cup as Kohut came around, and gratefully took a helping. "Thanks," he said and then sat down against the wall, cradling the cup jealously. Coffee had never quite tasted so good than at that moment.

Calhoun came over and crouched beside him. "You're doing well," she said. "I've been watching you."

"Really? Well thank you," responded Ralph with a weak smile.

"We'll be up to the top in good time." She looked him over with a calculating gaze. "You know, Ralph, if you ever find yourself in need of a job, you're welcome here. We could always use a few more soldiers."

Ralph chuckled. "Good pay. Steady work. Free uniforms. Regular beatings."

Calhoun chuckled, as did Davis and a few of the other soldiers sitting nearby. She liked his deadpan sense of humor.

"But seriously, I do appreciate this, Sergeant," he said looking at her.

A smile touched her hard features for a moment, but then she rose and went over to Kohut for a refill of coffee. Sipping it, she looked about the room again. And then she nodded at the wrecker. "C'mere. Let me show you something."

Ralph lumbered to his feet ignoring the protests in his muscles to keep resting—perhaps he should have taken the time to run out and have Felix fix him before heading out—and he followed her to the far end of the room. Instead of going through the door that marked the stairs up to the next level, she opened a doorway in a shadowed wall. It led to an unlit corridor, at the end of which Ralph could see a window. He followed her down the corridor, noting the way her figure was silhouetted by the glow of the sky beyond. Even in her bulky armor she had such a grace.

"There are a lot of places like this in the tower, and I mean a lot," she explained, taking off her helmet. "Rooms that the players don't know about. The shooter modules can't get into them anyway. Only the soldiers have access."

At the end of the corridor was a room at the corner of the tower, the outer wall formed by the window. "Oh...nice view!" exclaimed Ralph, pushing open his visor. He walked up to the railing around the room and looked out over the desolate landscape that was the world of _Hero's Duty_.

"Vero è che 'n su la proda mi trovai de la valle d'abisso dolorosa," commented Calhoun.

Ralph looked over at her questioningly at the utterance, but she only gave him a mysterious smirk for an explanation. He turned back to the view, amazed at the size of the game's world. Like he'd seen on his first ascent of the tower, it was all dark and unfathomable, lit by a weak light coming through the high clouds and the green glow produced by the wings and eyes of the Cy-Bugs. The swarms he'd seen from below were now at eye-level.

They stood for some time, neither speaking, neither moving. But when Ralph looked over at the sergeant, he could see a sadness upon her face, the sadness she tried so hard to hide behind her thorny personality and relentless vendetta against the Cy-Bugs. Wanting to try again, he spoke softly.

"Who was he? The one that broke your heart?"

There was a slight gasp, as if she'd been asleep and he'd woken her unexpectedly. But then she gathered her thoughts as quickly as they'd been interrupted. "He never broke it," she said calmly, remorsefully.

"Would you tell me your backstory now? Now that we've gotten this far?"

She bit her lip and closed her eyes to the panorama of her game.

"His name was Brad—Dr. Brad Scott. This tower is a huge research facility, and according to the game's story it's where he worked. I guess things happened like any tragic love story. Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Girl looses boy when a Cy-Bug crashes their wedding. Girl spends the rest of her life agonizing over what went wrong."

"Oh jeeze..."

"They made it my fault too." Somehow her voice hid it, but tears were streaming out the corners of her eyes. "I have to do these daily perimeter checks for any Cy-Bugs that have somehow escaped the pull of the beacon. And I did so faithfully, except for one day...my wedding day. A Cy-Bug broke into the chapel and...and..."

"That's horrible," blurted Ralph, figuring out the rest of the story without needing to be told.

"It was all my fault that Brad died." She squeezed her eyes shut and her hands clenched the railing. "If I'd done that check..."

Ralph was aghast at the story. "That's so unfair. No wonder you're this way."

She did not open her eyes. "So now you know. Happy?"

"No," he replied as he shook his head. "That's just so awful."

"But it's what I live with every day, this horrendous burden of guilt and the broken heart that only makes it worse. But I can deal with it. I'm just fine."

"Fine? You're coping, but you could be doing so much better. You could be so much happier without that monster of a memory inside of you."

"How can I be happier? I deserve this!"

He moved closer to her and put his hand onto her shoulderplate comfortingly. "Neither you nor I deserve what fate has meted out to us. But we can change it. That's why I'm here. I came to get a medal to prove to those stupid little Nicelanders that I'm just as good as any of them and certainly just as good as Felix. And you can do the same. You can move beyond this burden fate has dealt you."

"How? What can I do? Every day I go out there and kill Cy-Bugs. That's how I deal with the cards I was dealt!" she spat, pointing wildly at the enemy swarming outside. She turned hard and walked a few steps away and then fell to her knees. Unable to hold it in any longer, she sobbed dry tears of remorse.

Ralph knelt in front of her, took her face between his hands, looked into her eyes, and then ever so gently brushed her bangs back. "Don't give in to the guilt, Sergeant. It doesn't have to be this way."

"But it is this way."

Ralph shook his head. "Prove those programmers wrong. You don't need this pain to do your job. Go find yourself another love and get married and get the biggest, shiniest do-over ever. You have the power to change what we call fate."

"I can't do that. I was supposed to marry Brad."

"And he's gone. Heck, he never even existed. He was just backstory. But he wasn't the only guy out there that could love you. There are lots of guys in your game and in all the other games in the arcade. And lots of them are probably just as lonely as you are. Heck, Felix seemed pretty smitten with you. And if you're really absolutely desperate I'll marry you, even after what you did to me.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Me? Get married? You're absolutely crazy, Wreck-It. "

"There are times we have to move beyond our Code. Think about it, would you?"

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Medals Must Be Earned continues in:**

**Chapter 5 – The High Priestess**

**Chapter 6 – Strength**

**Chapter 7 – The Wheel of Fortune**

**Chapter 8 – The Lovers**

**Chapter 9 – The World**

**Chapter 10 – The Fool**

-o-o-o-o-o-

_Wreck-It Ralph _and all related concepts, characters, worlds, and events are property of Walt Disney Pictures. Original characters and story elements are property of E. Potter, writing under the pen name of Miratete.


	5. The High Priestess

**Medals Must Be Earned**

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 5 : The High Priestess**

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Wedding is on the wind  
Does she blow my way?  
She can dance and she can sing  
She will tear your heart away  
While the promise burns  
I'll stay  
And will you return  
From so far away?  
One life within the devil do I play  
It's been for so long  
El diablo is to blame**

**One life but the devil is in my way  
Oh...  
Oh el diablo, el diablo  
Won't you sell me back my soul?  
Oh el diablo, el diablo  
Won't you sell me back my soul? **

-o-o-o-o-o-

The floors continued to pass by, and when they came to the sixtieth, Calhoun stopped before the glowing icon on the wall that linked to a cut scene. The men, all knowing what it held, quietly moved on to the end of the room to wait.

Ralph looked at her, and then at the departing soldiers, and then again at her. She opened the faceplate on her helmet and he could see her ambivalent expression. Suddenly he remembered what she'd said earlier about the sixtieth floor. He turned to leave but her hand caught his arm. "Stay."

She reached out and touched the large icon, activating it.

And there rolled out the diary of her trauma, her cutscene played out before them, her tragic little backstory in all its cruel glory. Ralph stood beside her watching, and when it was over, he sniffled away a tear that had formed. "I'm so sorry," he managed, putting his hand on her shoulder again.

"Thank you," she whispered. sniffling back her own tears. And to his surprise, she turned and reached up to his wrist and hugged it between her two hands. "Thank you."

-o-o-o-o-o-

At last they came to the ninety-ninth floor, and Ralph felt his heart beat faster, pounding anxiously inside his chest. They were so close, and yet here was this room of unborn enemies that had to be dealt with first. And there would be no tiptoeing through them this time. Calhoun took a look at her unit and then checked her rifle. "Main thing is, don't charge in like some noob on a caffeine and sugar high like the players usually do. We'll take it as slowly as we can. I know it's damn near impossible, but we'll try to activate only a few at a time if possible," she instructed.

And so the final fight began, a maelstrom of violence and sound and destruction. Ralph tried to hang to the back where he could stay out of the way of the bugs, trying to work as a sniper from the edges of the battle. The first few had been easy, but there were so many as the floor began to overrun with newly hatched Cy-Bugs.

About halfway through there came a loud crash and a breaking of glass close to Ralph, followed by a scream from Calhoun. He turned to see that a Cy-Bug had come around from behind them, smashing through a glass partition wall and a row of computer consoles. It had viciously seized Calhoun, but had hesitated after doing so, debating on whether to kill its prey or to consume it. Deciding on the latter, it began to shove Calhoun into its mouth; but its hesitation had given her a moment to brace herself against the creature's jaws and mouthparts.

Without deliberating himself, Ralph dropped his rifle and launched himself at the creature, grappling it as he had the one when he'd first infiltrated the gameplay. He got a good hold of its primary limbs, but on feeling the resistant strength of the monster he wound up and let a punch fly.

The destructive fury contained in his fists, now concentrated into one blow, smashed remorselessly through the creature's metal carapace and found the monster's digital brain, destroying it instantly.

Calhoun fell from its mouthparts and Ralph tossed the lifeless insect shell aside. But as he did so, a juvenile Cy-Bug jumped onto his shoulders from behind. This one he grabbed and threw to the ground, then smashing it with another mighty punch. Turning around, he found two more adults charging his direction.

As Calhoun scrambled back to her feet, two more punches from Ralph destroyed each of the oncoming bugs. "Who's next?!" he hollered. But there were no more takers waiting.

Calhoun picked up Ralph's rifle and handed it back to him. "That was amazing. I didn't realize how strong you were. Or how much of a hero you could be."

Ralph blushed as he took back his weapon. "Well thanks. I just sorta reacted." And then he recovered from her compliment. "I really just wanted to make sure you were here to see me get my medal," he said soberly. He aimed his rifle at the ceiling and gave it a test firing. "I don't want to do this again." And feeling awkward beneath her sardonic smile he tuned around. "So, back at it, I guess." And with that he charged off into the fray.

Calhoun picked up her rifle and also gave it a quick test shot, and then joined him, fighting at his side.

-o-o-o-o-o-

When the Cy-Bugs were defeated the room suddenly seemed mysteriously quiet, almost uncomfortably quiet. "Now?" Ralph asked. He popped another peppermint into his mouth.

The sergeant gave him a single nod, and Ralph walked up the stairs, holding his breath as the protective plates separated and floated away. Stepping into the center of the platform, the Medal of Heroes floated down in a radiant aura, settling perfectly around Ralph's neck as it had before. On the verge of joyful tears he came back down the steps as the holograms praised and saluted and told him how great he was. Calhoun and the remaining three soldiers saluted as well.

Coming up to the sergeant, he stopped and studied her face. Her lips were taut and her emotions unreadable. Her eyes were focused in the distance, her thoughts elsewhere. "This medal is going to change my life," he told her, whether or not she was paying attention. He took the medal between trembling fingers and stared at it. "Thank you again, Sergeant," he said. "It's going to change everything." He kissed the shiny star at the center of it and tucked it beneath his armor.

And he looked up again to see Calhoun's blue eyes fixed on him.

"Ralph?"

"Yes?" Now what did she want? He managed a weak smile.

"I want everything to change for me too. Would you marry me?"

The other soldiers gasped and turned to her, their mouths falling open. Ralph accidentally swallowed his peppermint, completely stunned by her out of the blue request.

"Sergeant? Are you feeling all right?" Spears asked her.

She put her hands on her hips. "Wreck-It, your madness is contagious and I seem to have caught it. Marry me. You said you would. Take me along on your happily ever after."

He searched back into his head for his proposal, and found the casual, encouraging offer made earlier on the forty-eighth floor. It had been made as something of a self-deprecating joke really, without any seriousness to the actual offer. "I mean... well, yeah I said I would... but that was sorta a last ditch offer, like if you reached the bottom of the barrel of bachelors. I kinda thought you'd go meet someone and start dating and at least get to know him first." And here Ralph thought he'd finally gotten off of the rollercoaster of events and emotions of the past day.

"I did."

"Sergeant..." choked Kohut. "Are you..." Not being able to finish, he simply stepped back, wiping futilely at this brow.

Suddenly there was a flicker of light and the hologram of the General appeared next to Calhoun. "Sgt. Calhoun?!" he barked. "What in the Sam Hill is going on here!? Did you just ask this guy to marry you?"

She saluted him. "Sir, yes, Sir!" The holographic man looked Ralph up and down, and then suddenly jolted on recognizing him. "This guy? He's the one that broke in here and..."

"Yeah yeah yeah," Calhoun cut him off. "We know what he did. And he's been duly punished for it."

"And now he's up here again, and has another medal, and you want to marry him?"

"Yes, sir."

"What about Dr. Scott? Your first fiancee? Have you forgotten about Brad?" He folded his arms over his chest. 

"Brad's not coming back. He's never coming back. In fact he never existed. But I'm not going to stay miserable and alone forever mourning him."

"But him? This guy?" The General slapped his hand to his forehead and then faded out with a disgusted groan.

Calhoun laughed and turned back to Ralph. "Sorry about the General. Just ignore him. There's a reason we keep Rapunzel locked up in the tower."

The General suddenly flickered back in. "I heard that!" he snorted and flickered out again.

She shook her head, and then she took a step closer to Ralph. "So, what will it be, Wreck-It? Yes or no?" she demanded.

Ralph looked her up and down for a moment, realizing she was completely serious and determined in this. Looney? No. Lonely? Definitely. Desperate? Maybe. "You know. Why not? Sure!" he said finding some confidence. "Sure yes I'll marry you. In fact, Hell yes. Hell yes, I'll marry you."

There was a rattling of armor as Markowski stumbled away. "I think I'm going to be sick..." he moaned.

"Sergeant. You sure about this?" asked Kohut, finding his voice again.

"Hell yes," she echoed.

And still finding himself standing there awkwardly staring at her, Ralph shuffled nervously. Maybe this was all some sort of weird euphorious hallucination brought on by the adrenaline and peppermints and whatever the doctor had given him. But why not just roll with it? Why not? "Um. Should I kiss you at this point?" he asked.

"Hell yes," she repeated.

Markowski fainted to the floor with a graceless clatter.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Medals Must Be Earned continues in:**

**Chapter 6 – Strength**

**Chapter 7 – The Wheel of Fortune**

**Chapter 8 – The Lovers**

**Chapter 9 – The World**

**Chapter 10 – The Fool**

-o-o-o-o-o-

_Wreck-It Ralph _and all related concepts, characters, worlds, and events are property of Walt Disney Pictures. Original characters and story elements are property of E. Potter, writing under the pen name of Miratete.


	6. Strength

**Medals Must Be Earned**

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 6: Strength**

o-o-o-o-o-

**I kiss my window facing south  
where endless rains are splashing blue  
My mouth spills an ocean of words  
crashing waves of intention**

If I stood still  
Under dark gray skies  
Would memories flood me  
With alibis

It's here where I stand  
with time in hand  
Prophesize those days  
Rain on me

Wash the rain away my dear

Incandescence can dance  
through white shades of sand  
Perfect skies  
tell the tides  
Rain on me

A thousand days of rain

And I see the sunrise kissing my face  
sometimes  
And I know the sun shines down on me

Rain on me

Feel the sunlight in my face  
See the sunshine in my grace  
Now that I know I am here  
Wash the rain away my dear 

**-Lyrics to "Purify" by Ballomingo**

-o-o-o-o-o-

Felix waited outside of Hero's Duty rather anxiously. For a while earlier, Mary, Don, and Nell had appeared and sat with him, also quite concerned about what was happening in the game Ralph had somehow entangled himself in. They talked for a couple of hours, discussing Ralph and his going Turbo, and about why their bad guy had suddenly gotten out of line. But after a while they'd left, heading home, leaving Felix to his vigil. Unable to stay awake, he'd fallen asleep at the portal to _Hero's Duty_.

Felix woke when someone began shaking his shoulder. Opening his eyes he found one of the soldiers there in front of him. "I'm supposed to come get you," he said. "Your buddy needs you."

Felix cringed. The plan had been for Ralph to come out afterward. Was the wrecker so mangled that he couldn't walk out?

He was escorted inside and through a series of corridors, and eventually led into one labeled 'Men's Showers,' to where Ralph waited dressed only in his boxer shorts. "Felix! You gotta fix me!" he said excitedly. "She tore me up pretty badly." Ralph turned around and knelt down.

"Oh my land! Ralph! What did she do to you?"

His back was criss-crossed by a web of welts and long cuts, some of which oozed blood, angry at the bandages having been removed. Dried blood stained the waistband of his boxers while drips left tracks down the backs of his legs. Felix immediately got out his hammer and began gently pressing it to the broken skin.

"Felix, this is the best day of my life," he proclaimed. "And I want you to be witness to it."

"The best day of your life?" he asked, pausing a moment. "Ralph, have you gone mad?" There was no suffering or stress or trepidation in the wrecker's voice. Only happiness.

He laughed. "She asked me that same thing. And if this is madness, I'll take a double helping, please."

Felix went around Ralph's front side and waved his hand in front of Ralph's face, watching the big man's eyes. "Did she give you some kind of drugs?"

Ralph pushed the waving hand aside. "Well some doctor here gave me something for the pain, but that's not what's up."

"Don't tell me you get off on this kind of thing," Felix blurted disgustedly, putting his hands on his hips. And then suddenly he blushed and slapped his hands over his mouth, the reality of what he'd just said hitting him.

"Felix," said Ralph, ignoring the man's comment. "I need a big favor of you. I need you to be my best man."

"Your best man?" He stared questioningly. "But if you need a best man that means that you're get..."

"Getting married! Yes!" Ralph interrupted excitedly. "She's marrying me! Or I'm marrying her, or something like that. In like half an hour!"

"She? The sergeant?" he fumbled, his throat tightening. They had only seen one woman in _Hero's Duty_.

"Yes. Isn't it wonderful! I tell you Felix, going Turbo was the best thing I've ever done for myself."

At that moment a soldier walked into the shower room carrying an olive green military dress uniform on a hanger, a pair of polished black shoes, and a package that appeared to contain a shirt and the uniform's accessories. "Here. This should fit you."

"A uniform?"

The man glared at him, and then hung the uniform up on one of the hooks around the dressing area. "Even if you are some hobo, we're not about to let you marry the Sarge looking like one," he huffed.

"I'll have you know, good Sir, that I am not a hobo," said Ralph indignantly with an affected posh accent. "I happened to live in the penthouse suite atop the nicest apartment building in all of Litwak's."

"Of course," said the soldier doubtfully and he walked out.

"Well I'll be dipped! It's true..." gasped Felix. "You're not kidding me about marrying her."

"The bride walks down just to start the wedding and there's one more girl you won't be getting," sang Ralph to rub it in a little. For almost thirty years the little handyman had been trying to get to the altar, having met with repeated failure, and now even Ralph was going to beat him to it.

"Wait, you said you lived in the penthouse."

"I do now." Ralph got up and walked over to the pile of his own clothing, and from it he extracted the Medal of Heroes. Proudly he held it up for the handyman to see.

"Sweet beans on toast!" Felix coughed. "You did get it!"

"Earned it! Went to the top of the tower and killed a million Cy-Bugs for it. Now finish fixing me so I can shower and get dressed and get hitched. I told you this was the best day of my life."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Felix stood beside Ralph beneath the windows of the chapel. Anxiously the handyman fingered the top of his magical golden hammer hanging at his hip. He was trying to maintain his composure, and was still in disbelief that just five hours ago he'd thrown Ralph to the wolves. And now the wrecker had somehow charmed the alpha-wolf and was being welcomed into their pack, even if somewhat reluctantly by some of its members. How could this have come to be?

Next to him, Ralph was fidgeting the wrapper off of another peppermint, his heart fit to burst with joy. His beloved Medal of Heroes hung around his neck for all to see.

Felix had never seen Ralph so happy before, not in years at least. The sad-eyed, sullen giant was now as giddy as a kitten with a catnip mouse.

Felix sighed. It would have had to be the sergeant. What a grand she-wolf she was. He'd been planning to ask her out after this trouble with Ralph had blown over. He'd fallen for her at first sight, the tall tough blonde who'd nearly killed him when he'd come looking for Ralph. So what if she was twice his height? Stepladders had been invented for a reason. A flame had kindled in his heart the first moment he'd laid eyes on that beautiful high-definition face of hers. She was perfect—her strong blue eyes, her aggressive swagger, her confident crooked smirk, her smattering of freckles, her carefree blonde hair.

But there would be no blowing over. The she-wolf was about to tie the knot with Ralph.

Oh well, he sighed and tried to assure himself that there were other women out there in the arcade. How could he begrudge Ralph for wanting her as well?

A chord of music drew everyone's attention to the back of the chapel.

"Felix, pinch me," whispered Ralph as the bride began her walk down the aisle. Somehow she looked completely different from the first time he'd seen her wearing that wedding gown. It was the same gown, the one she'd worn not too many hours ago down in the prison room. But instead of an implement of punishment, she clutched a bouquet of ivory roses and lacy ferns. The veil of the headpiece had been drawn over her face.

Kohut walked right behind her, a deadly maid of honor, suited up for battle, his rifle powered up and ready to fire. And he wasn't the only one prepared for a Cy-Bug attack. Around the chapel several other members of her squad were armed and on the defensive.

Calhoun began to smile as she approached the dais, and taking her spot beside Ralph, she was absolutely beaming. "You look good in uniform," she said quietly to him. "...but we'll need to get you some shoes," she added, noting that he was barefoot. He'd been able to get his chunky feet into the shoes worn with the armor, but no such luck with those that went with the dress uniform.

In a back row the General and Markowski sat together weeping loudly.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Medals Must Be Earned continues in:**

**Chapter 7 – The Wheel of Fortune**

**Chapter 8 – The Lovers**

**Chapter 9 – The World**

**Chapter 10 – The Fool**

-o-o-o-o-o-

_Wreck-It Ralph _and all related concepts, characters, worlds, and events are property of Walt Disney Pictures. Original characters and story elements are property of E. Potter, writing under the pen name of Miratete.


	7. The Wheel of Fortune

**Medals Must Be Earned**

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 7: The Wheel of Fortune**

-o-o-o-o-o-

The ceremony went off without a hitch—without interruption from any unwanted guests. And afterward Felix followed the bride and groom as they walked over to _Fix-It Felix, Jr._, Felix graciously carrying Calhoun's overnight bag for her. The bride was still smiling and Ralph had come down with a severe case of the honeyglows.

On reaching the rickety tram into the game, Ralph lifted her into the first compartment and then stuffed himself into the one behind her. Felix sat at the back of the tram. "I guess this is the Tunnel of Love," she commented.

"...That leads to the bridal suite," replied Ralph. "I might have to kick some scrubs out of it first," he chuckled. "They don't know you're coming."

The tram began to move, and in the darkness, Felix could hear the newlyweds kissing, and again he told himself not to get jealous.

Predictably, the Nicelanders stared as Ralph approached the building, unaccustomed to seeing him wearing anything but his tatty overalls and his torn shirt. They had been expecting him to return from _Hero's Duty_ a broken, remorseful man, but here he was dressed smartly in a military uniform with a beautiful woman in a wedding gown on his arm. Ralph went to the trouble of introducing "Mrs. Wreck-It" to everyone they encountered. "And look...Medal of Heroes!" he'd point out after each introduction. After which the Nicelanders would look to Felix with questioning written across their faces. And Felix would just nod a confirmation.

Word got up to the mayor before they even reached the front door of the building. And it was at the front door of the building that the visibly shaken Gene met them.

"Ah, Big Gene," said Ralph smugly. "I'd like you to meet someone very dear to me. Sgt. Tamora Jean Calhoun of _Hero's Duty_. But no need to salute. Here, you can just call her Mrs. Wreck-It."

Calhoun extended her hand and Gene took it, giving it a limp shake.

"Oh, and what's this around my neck?" Ralph teased. "I seem to have earned a medal...a big shiny medal." He drew out each word, forcing Gene to focus on the reality that the mayor had lost the challenge in a huge way.

"You did," Calhoun backed him up.

Gene's tiny hand clenched frustratedly around Calhoun's fingers.

"I went through a lot to get this too," he continued, picking it up and admiring it. "It sure is big and shiny."

Gene released Calhoun's hand. "All right Ralph. You win. Let it never be said that I'm not a man of my word," he groaned. "Let me go get a few of my things. I'll finish moving out tomorrow."

"Oh, no hurry to move out. I don't want to be bringing my bride home to an unfurnished apartment. Though you could at least put some clean sheets on the bed since we'll be sleeping in it tonight. Well at least we'll be using it tonight. Not sure how much sleep we'll actually get."

Calhoun stifled a laugh and Gene glared all the harder. "I'll go get a few things," he said through clenched teeth. With that he turned abruptly and went back inside.

"I'll give him a hand," said Felix following after the mayor. "I'll leave the sergeant's bag up there for her."

"No-no. That's Mrs. Wreck-It's bag," Ralph corrected.

"Yes, of course. Mrs. Wreck-It," he said trying to hide the dejection in his voice.

"So that's the Devil," said an amused Calhoun after Gene and Felix departed. "Did you have to rub everything in so much though?"

"Of course I did. I just want to spend a little time gloating today. Tomorrow I'll be back to my best behavior," he said, sitting down on the steps. Calhoun sat beside him, carefully arranging her dress so it fell nicely, and then she leaned over and kissed her husband. Marrying him had been completely crazy...and perhaps madness actually was contagious as she had said. But her heart now felt so light. Somehow the unspeakable guilt over Brad's death had shrunk away by completing the wedding ceremony with this man.

Some of the Nicelanders standing about, now approached the couple, led by Mary, who spoke up. "Ralph, I guess we should welcome you to Niceland now. And your bride, of course. I spent a lot of time talking with Felix, and we're ready to turn over a new leaf."

"Well thank you, Mary. I'm ready to let bygones be bygones."

"As am I, and I'm sure the rest of the Nicelanders feel the same way," she said looking back at them. There were nods of agreement from the group.

"I'm glad you're ready to turn over a new leaf, because I sure am as well." He wrapped his arm around Calhoun's waist and pulled her in for a little hug.

"I feel like we should have a party or something to celebrate this," continued Mary. "Did you have a wedding reception after the ceremony?"

"Nope We came right here because I wanted you all to meet her right away."

Mary clapped her hands together. "Well that settles it. We'll go up to the penthouse when Gene's done and celebrate."

Ralph shook his head. "Not tonight. It's been a rough couple of days here for me. Worked a full day. Went to Bad-Anon. Crashed the 30th Anniversary party. Went Turbo in_ Hero's Duty_. Nearly got killed. Climbed the tower. Crashed a spaceship. Worked another full day. Got beaten half to death. Climbed the tower again. Got married." He sighed. "I just want to take it easy for the rest of the night...maybe get some sleep."

"Tomorrow then? And if it's tomorrow I'll have a chance to bake you a wedding cake."

Ralph's eyes suddenly lit up. "A cake? A wedding cake?"

"Of course!" Mary put her finger to the side of her lips as she began to plan her creation. "Three tiers, pure white butter frosting, icing roses, candy trimmery. Ooh! What flavor would you like?"

"What flavor is pink, because I'd kinda like a pink cake inside," said Ralph.

Calhoun glanced sideways at her groom. He was so full of unexpected little surprises.

"Well, strawberry, peppermint, or cherry usually."

"I like strawberry." And then he turned to Calhoun. "If that's okay with you."

"Sounds good to me."

"Strawberry it is then."

"And will there be a little bride and groom on top of the cake? I saw a picture of that once and it was really cute."

"Of course," answered Mary cheerfully.

Ralph beamed. He'd been excluded from the top of the Niceland-shaped cake, but now he was being put atop his very own cake, and not alone either, but with the woman who had joined him at this tumultuous and exhilarating time in his life.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Medals Must Be Earned continues in:**

**Chapter 8 – The Lovers**

**Chapter 9 – The World**

**Chapter 10 – The Fool**

-o-o-o-o-o-

_Wreck-It Ralph _and all related concepts, characters, worlds, and events are property of Walt Disney Pictures. Original characters and story elements are property of E. Potter, writing under the pen name of Miratete.


	8. The Lovers

**Medals Must Be Earned**

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 8: The Lovers**

-o-o-o-o-o-

Ralph opened the double doors to the penthouse suite, picked up Sgt. Calhoun, and carried his bride over the threshold. He was very careful to tread lightly, wanting to avoid what had happened the last time he'd come down the stairs just inside the doorway.

"Oh, nice place," said Calhoun as he set her down. "Though we might have to replace the dollhouse furniture," she said glancing about a second time.

"Well yeah. The Nicelanders are pretty small. I'm sure Gene will be taking a lot of it with him anyway."

Ralph went to the bar, searched around a bit, and produced a bottle of champagne. He got out two glasses, popped the cork, and poured them each a flute-full. He handed her one and raised his glass in a toast. "Here's to you, for changing my life,"

"And to you, for changing mine."

Ralph drained his glass and Calhoun smirked at him. "Thirsty?"

"I just wanted to toast you again," he said filling the flute once more.

She said nothing but smiled and sipped from her own glass.

He raised his glass again to her. "This is to you as well for being so understanding with me. No one has ever cared about my problems as much as you did, in that you cared enough about them to help me win a medal."

This time she leaned in and kissed him before he could drink. "You cared enough about me to accept my marriage proposal. Most guys would have run in terror after what I did to you."

"I knew there were still a few pieces of your heart left inside of you," he said tenderly. "Maybe I can put them back together eventually." And then he chuckled. "It will be eventually. I'm a wrecker...not a fixer."

She laughed and grabbed the bottle of champagne and topped off their glasses. "C'mon. Lets go see if that bed's also doll furniture."

Ralph raised an eyebrow. "Eager for your wedding night?"

"Aren't you?" She forced a yawn. "I've had a long day too. I was also thinking about getting some sleep." She picked up their glasses and walked over to what appeared to be a hallway. Ralph went back around to the working side of the bar, put another bottle of champagne into one of the brushed steel ice buckets, and then filled it with ice. Taking the bucket and the mostly empty bottle, he followed after his bride.

-o-o-o-o-o-

They found the bedroom off of the hallway. Calhoun's overnight bag had been left in a corner of the room and Ralph's bag of clothes sat next to it. And while the bed might have been extravagantly large in size for a single Nicelander, it looked cozy for Ralph and Calhoun, but at least it would fit them both. Calhoun was pulling back the bedcovers. "Whaddaya know? Clean sheets. Someone other than the Devil must have changed them for us," she guessed.

"I'll bet Felix or one of the ladies did. Even if my relationship with them has always been at odds, I think they're trying to be nice to me now, especially now that I've got a wife to look after."

"Didn't you read my window sticker? I'm no-maintenance. I don't need 'looking after'."

"Hmm...all right. But I'm still going to work on some of the design flaws," he said playfully, tapping his chest over his heart. He lay down on the bed, resting his head on the pillow. "Mmmm...this is really comfy." He closed his eyes and wriggled into the middle. "Well I'm sleeping here. There's probably room on the sofa out in the living room for you."

"Hmmmph!" she snorted and shuffled about the room, unbuttoning her bag.

The sound of a zipper opened his eyes again. She was stepping out of her gown, and Ralph froze. While he'd seen her out of it earlier that day, having taken it off for the final part of his punishment, seeing her there in her bridal underwear was like seeing a completely different woman. It had been the same reaction as he'd had at the wedding ceremony. "I've changed my mind," he said slowly, agape at how beautiful and sexy she looked. "You can sleep here with me."

"I'm glad you changed your mind. I was worried that you'd need convincing from my little friend."

"Your little friend?"

Suddenly there was a pistol in her right hand despite her not wearing a holster, and not having brought any weapons, at least that he was aware of. Her left hand slid the clip in and out with an ominous click.

"What the...? How did you...?"

She just flashed her lopsided little smirk and turned away, tossing the pistol into the bag. And then she grabbed a smaller bag out of the larger and went off to the bathroom. "Just going to wash up."

Ralph relaxed again back into the pillows. "This is going to be one heck of a night," he grinned, "and one wild and bumpy ride of a marriage." He climbed back out of the bed and stood before the wall mirror in the bedroom, admiring himself. He had to admit that he did look pretty good in uniform.

He began to undress, flinging the beret like a Frisbee onto the dresser and shucking the rest of the suit off. But he left the Medal of Heroes hanging around his neck. Somehow he just couldn't bear to take it off. That shiny piece of honor had gotten him not just a place in Niceland, but his persistence in earning it had won him a wife as well.

He finished off the rest of the bottle of champagne and opened the second, filling his glass up again. And then he climbed into Gene's comfy bed again. "This is going to spoil me. I'll never be able to go back to sleeping on my brick-pile with my stump," he mused. Ralph pulled the sheets up over himself and closed his eyes again.

Calhoun came back in, no longer dressed in her bridal underwear, but in a little cotton camisole and boxer shorts. "Warming up the bed?"

"You bet."

"How's your back feeling?"

"It feels great."

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "I must be loosing my touch."

He sat up and pulled off his undershirt.

Ralph turned around and showed her his back, as clean and damage-free as the morning his game had been plugged in.

"But how!" she gasped. "When did you regenerate? I've been with you the whole time since we came to your game." She walked over and shyly touched his pink skin.

"I didn't. Felix fixed it for me, just before the wedding. That hammer of his can fix bodies too."

"Amazing!" she said, running her hand lightly down his skin. Her touch was beginning to tickle, but Ralph tried not to laugh. And then she went and turned out the overhead light, leaving the room lit only by the soft glow of the reading light on the bedside table. "You're not wearing that to bed, are you?" she asked, noticing the Medal of Heroes still hanging around his neck as he turned back around and made himself comfortable on one side of the bed.

"Why not?"

"Aren't you worried that I might strangle you with it in my sleep?"

"Sarge, you don't have to be such a tough-girl all the time and keep trying to intimidate me."

"And you don't have to call me Sarge either. I have a first name you know."

"May I use it?"

"Of course, now that we're married."

He smiled at her. "Anyway, you don't have to be such a tough-girl, _Tamora_. Not with me at least. Besides, if you strangled me I could die a happy man right now. That look on Gene's face was the most perfect thing I've ever seen in my life. And hearing the preacher-guy pronounce us man and wife was the most wonderful thing I've ever heard. And kissing you just after you proposed, that was the sweetest thing I've ever tasted."

"Hmmm...that's three senses. What about smell and touch?"

"Smell? I think we'll get to smell tomorrow night. Mary's going to make us such a wedding cake! You'll be impressed. And I think I'll get to touch in not too long here," he grinned at her, hoping his expression looked as devilish as he was feeling at that moment.

She climbed into the bed and cozied up to him, putting her head on his shoulder and an arm over his broad chest. "I still keep asking myself if everything really happened. It was just so out of the blue."

"You're not the only one." He reached up and stroked her arm with the lightest touch he could.

"What if we've made a terrible mistake?"

Ralph froze. How could she say such a thing? "Tamora, don't even think about that now. If it turns out we have, we'll deal with it when we come to that realization. Right now, as far as I know, everything's perfect. I'm curled up here living my dream, wanting to be in Niceland accepted by the others. But it's even better than that dream, because I'm in Gene's penthouse with this amazing woman I seem to have picked up as part of the deal."

She chuckled and squeezed him. "And I've gotten married to a handsome villain who's actually a really nice, caring person. And no Cy-Bugs came to our wedding."

"Somehow I knew that was what you needed. Though I never thought I'd be the one there at the altar with you." His hand moved to stroke her back. "I kinda feel like we've cheated fate."

"Not cheated. Been reassigned."

Ralph rolled onto his side and admired her. The hand that had been stroking her back moved up to stroke her face and neck. "You're so beautiful," he whispered. "But there's so much more to you than beauty."

"I still can't believe you're the bad guy in this game," she responded, uncomfortable with being appraised for her looks. "You can be kind and thoughtful at times. I was shocked when you rescued me in the tower. I wasn't expecting it."

Ralph only smiled and brushed her bangs off of her face yet again.

"I should warn you," she said, changing the subject again. "I've never been to bed with a man," she said with uncharacteristic timidness. She'd sounded so bold earlier. "So if I do something wrong, tell me so I don't keep doing it wrong."

"Wait...what about Brad? You were engaged to him. Didn't you...?"

"I don't remember anything but kissing him. I guess we were waiting until we got married."

Ralph chuckled. "Well I guess I'm safe then. I've never been to bed with a woman before, so you won't know if I'm doing something wrong myself."

She suddenly sat up. "What!? Thirty years and you've never?"

"I'm a bad guy. It sorta goes with the territory."

Calhoun started laughing, and then climbed up on top of him, kissing him enthusiastically. "So then, let's get to figuring this out."

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Medals Must Be Earned continues in:**

**Chapter 9 – The World**

**Chapter 10 – The Fool**

-o-o-o-o-o-

_Wreck-It Ralph _and all related concepts, characters, worlds, and events are property of Walt Disney Pictures. Original characters and story elements are property of E. Potter, writing under the pen name of Miratete.


	9. The World

**Medals Must Be Earned**

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 9: The World**

-o-o-o-o-o-

Ralph woke and found himself alone, but the open drapes across the French doors to the bedroom's balcony revealed his wife standing outside, looking out over the darkened landscape. He watched her for a while, and then realized that she'd thrown Gene's bathrobe over herself for modesty...sort of. What was probably floor-length and bundling on him barely covered her. It reached only to the tops of her thighs, and when she turned to come back inside he saw that it barely closed around her chest.

"I think that bathrobe is having the happiest day of it's life," he chuckled as she approached the bed, seeing him awake.

"What are you doing up?" she asked as she crawled onto the bed.

"I could ask you the same thing," he said, slightly worried. "You're not having second thoughts about this are you?"

"Of course not. I'm a light sleeper, and I'm just not used to sleeping with anyone else."

Ralph breathed a sigh of relief as a smile crossed his face. "You'll have to get used to it, I guess."

"Ralph?"

"Tamora?"

"I've been thinking. This place, this apartment, is really nice, but it's not sized for us. It would take a lot of remodeling to get comfortable. Why don't we just go live in my game?"

"Oh...but I'd kinda had my heart set on living in Niceland," Ralph said sadly.

"I was afraid you were going to say that. Well how about a compromise then? We'll go live in _Hero's Duty_ while we build us a place here, somewhere sized for us. There's a good amount of land out around the edges of your game. Build a roomy house with a garden of flowers and a white picket fence? Nice big bathtub and a nice big bed."

"I like the sound of that. I think I could be persuaded."

She straightened up to stand on her knees and untied the robe. It fell open like a pair of theater curtains.

"I'm persuaded," was his response. She stretched forward and pressed her lips to the tip of his button nose. "I know that Niceland was your reward, but I think we can do even better." And she continued to kiss him, sprinkling delicate kisses across his face and neck.

"How come we never met before, Miss Tamora?" Ralph giggled as some of the kisses began to tickle.

"I don't know. _ Hero's Duty_ has been plugged in two months now." She left him and closed the drapes.

"Only two months..." Ralph mused. "Such an innocent young thing." He reached for the champagne bottle in the ice bucket on the floor beside the bed, but on lifting it he found it empty, and then he looked again into the bucket. "You might be an innocent young thing, but you're so hot you melted all the ice," he teased. And then he looked at the clock on the bedside table. "Four hours until the arcade opens. I'll go get another bottle."

He rolled out of bed but paused to watch her peel off the robe and climb beneath the sheets. Had he really married this fabulous creature?

Going out to the bar, he refilled the bucket with a bottle of fresh bubbly and ice. What was this? Bottle number four? Number five? Who cared? Gene was picking up the tab for their stay. And admittedly the bottles weren't big for someone his size.

Ralph looked around the penthouse. It was rather small for their size, especially for a couple. He would probably keep hitting his head on the underside of the loft. And the bathroom was far too small to put a larger bathtub into it. The current tub inside it would perhaps fit his feet.

And then he thought about his bride and her game. He could get used to living in that wretched war-torn domain if it was just a temporary arrangement. It would be nice to be welcomed there as their sergeant's husband. Sure most of the soldiers had been somewhat uncomfortable with her marrying him, but they'd all come to the wedding, even the General. Even the miserable Markowski. And Calhoun had assured him that their opinion would change once they got to know him.

In a few hours they'd get up and get dressed. And then he'd walk her to work, even if she protested. And then he'd kiss her goodbye for the day and head back for his own job. Then after work there would be a party in their honor and a delicious cake just for them...his first cake ever.

Ralph picked up the bucket and headed back into the bedroom.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**One more chapter to Medals Must Be Earned!**

**If you enjoyed this story, you might also like my WIR story "Hero's Duty: Code Blue," a tale of drama and deception with a notable dose of romance and violence. This story and my other fanfics can be found at the bottom of my Author Profile page. Thanks!**

-o-o-o-o-o-

_Wreck-It Ralph _and all related concepts, characters, worlds, and events are property of Walt Disney Pictures. Original characters and story elements are property of E. Potter, writing under the pen name of Miratete.


End file.
